Sworn Secrecy
by hufflepuffwriter
Summary: My dearest Lily, I know that I have made a horrible mistake that I cannot fix, and I will spend the rest of my life regretting it. I wish you the very best in your journey to becoming queen, and I promise you, one day, I will return to you. You will forever be in my heart, always. Love, James. / Royalty AU, Lily as princess and James as a servant.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: for extra background information, the magical world is split up into four separate lands – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. I also do not own any of the characters or places mentioned in this story, everything belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Enjoy reading!_

The hot summer sun beat down on Hogsmeade village where the common people of the Gryffindor lands spent their afternoons trading and selling their handmade goods. Beyond the village lay the Gryffindor castle, where the common people of Gryffindor placed their trust.

Lily could feel the hot summer rays beating down on her face. She wished more than anything to take off her heavy dress and soak in a cool bath. She could feel dirt and grass getting between her toes and she tried to shake it all out but it was no use – her sandals picked up even more dust every time she took a step. She made a mental note to ask Marlene to prepare a bath for her once they got back to the castle.

"It's a very nice day, isn't it my lady?" Marlene asked, interrupting Lily's thoughts.

"Hmm?" Lily said, turning her attention towards her handmaid. "Yes," she said, nodding in agreement. "Although, I wish we could do something about these bugs–" she swatted a fly away from her face.

"It's only because we're walking past the stables," Marlene said.

"That reminds me, I need someone to change Philippa's shoes and brush her coat and mane."

"I shall tell one of the stable boys to do it once we pass one," Marlene replied. "Although, some of them aren't the fastest workers–"

The words had just rolled off her tongue as she and Lily walked past the royal stables where they found two young men throwing water at each other.

"It appears I spoke too soon…" Marlene muttered quietly.

"You git!" shouted one boy with messy hair. His clothes were drenched in water and his face and shirt were covered in dirt and some other dark brown substance. Lily and Marlene stood among the other common people, watching the incident in front of them.

"That's what you get for throwing horse dung at me!" the other boy shouted, holding a barrel of water in his arms.

Lily and Marlene watched the two boys scuffle for a few minutes. At first Lily thought that they were arguing, but her theory was dismissed when she saw the boy with disheveled hair laughing as he got drenched with water.

The boy with messy hair grabbed a bucket of water and started running towards his friend.

"Don't you dare!" his friend shouted, spinning on his heel. He started to run towards Lily and her handmaiden.

"My lady, don't you think we should move?" Marlene asked cautiously.

"No, we're out of their way. They wouldn't dare come near us." Lily said confidently.

The boy who was being chased hid behind a horse for a short moment before being seen by his friend.

"Get over here you prat!"

"Never!"

He ran out from behind the horse and into the street, not bothering to say sorry when he pushed past innocent bystanders. He ran right past Lily and hid behind a small stand of fruit behind her.

The boy with the bucket ran past Lily and threw the bucket of water over his arms towards his friend.

"No!" the other boy shouted with a grin, hitting the bucket with his fists towards the opposite direction.

The opposite direction, towards Lily.

She felt warm water splash on the back of her head and run down her back. She screamed loudly and turned towards the two boy standing behind her. The whole street had stopped what they were doing to watch the scene. The two boys in question were standing still with horrified looks on their faces and water dripping down from their hair. The one boy with longer hair dropped the bucket.

"Both of you!" Lily shouted at them. "Come here!"

They exchanged wary glances before stepping out from behind the fruit stand and standing in front of her.

"What are your names?" she demanded angrily. The boy with the long hair looked at the ground. He had brown spots of dung on his shirt.

The boy with messy hair ran a quick hand through his black locks then spoke up. "I'm James Potter and this is my friend Sirius Black."

She sent him an evil glare. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, you're Highness." James bowed his head and looked at his shoes.

"You should both be ashamed of yourselves. You are supposed to be working, not playing. My father does not waste his money on servants who don't do their work. I should have you both sacked immediately."

"No, please! Your Highness, we need the money–"

"Well maybe you should have thought about the consequences before you wreaked havoc everywhere."

The boy Sirius spoke up. "Princess, we are very sorry. Please, don't sack us. We'll do anything."

"My lady," Marlene spoke up quietly. "They meant no harm…"

Lily stuck her nose up in the air. The Potter boy would not look away from her. His eyes were pleading. Lily straightened her posture and stared the boy down, but he still did not break eye contact. She could practically see his hazel eyes asking for forgiveness. Lily forced herself to remain tall and strong, but she couldn't stand to see his torn clothes and dirty hair. She sighed, submitting to her inner self.

"Very well then – I won't sack you. But as punishment, both of you will double your work for no extra pay."

The boys murmured a string of thanks.

"But heed my words; the next time I catch either of you engaging in ridiculous acts of tomfoolery, I will have you both sacked without a second thought."

Lily cast one last glare at the Potter boy before turning around and heading back to the Gryffindor castle with Marlene.

"Are you okay, princess?" Marlene asked once they had returned to Lily's chambers.

"I'll be fine," Lily muttered angrily. "Will you prepare a bath for me then help me take this soiled dress off?"

Marlene cross to the other side of the room where a large clawed bathtub sat and started to pump water into the tub from a well that lay underneath Lily's chambers. When the tub was full, Lily threw her hands up in the air while Marlene pulled the heavy layers off her. She laid the soiled dress at the edge of Lily's bed before untying her corset.

"I can't _believe_ they did that…" Lily exclaimed. "Do they know how expensive that dress was?" she pouted. "It's a shame, it was my favorite."

"Emerald green does look very nice on you," Marlene agreed. "Shall I have the seamstress sew you a new one?"

Lily shook her head. "No, there's no need. That Potter boy will probably find a way to destroy it again."

"I don't think so," Marlene said. "After getting yelled at, he most likely won't bother you again." She opened Lily's dress cabinet and pulled out a thin royal blue dress. "Will this one work?"

"Yes, that's perfect." Lily replied with a small smile. "Dinner is soon. I hear my father has invited the king of Slytherin and his family to dine with us."

Marlene's thin brows met in confusion. "Slytherin? Why?"

Lily shrugged. "My father wants to make peace. I doubt it will happen." She picked the dirt out from underneath her fingernails. "The king has a son, Severus. I fear my father will force me to marry him to bring to the two lands together."

Marlene shook her head. "Your father is a good king, princess. He wouldn't marry you to a family of Dark Magic."

Lily sighed and shook her head. "I don't even know _how_ they're royalty if they have magic. Wizards aren't meant to hold power. Magic is evil."

Marlene pulled up a chair in front of Lily's vanity and motioned for her to sit down. She grabbed a brush and ran it through Lily's dark red locks.

"Sometimes," Marlene said, making eye contact with Lily through the mirror. "I wish I had magic."

"Why?"

Marlene shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't use it for evil," she said quickly. "I would use it for peace. I'd make everyone of equal power and rank; everyone would be able to afford nice things and they wouldn't have to go a few nights without supper."

"If I had magic that's what I would use it for," Lily agreed. "And I'd also maybe use it to hex that Potter boy."

Marlene's lips curled into a small smile. "He's not as bad as you think he is, my lady. I see him often when I go into the market. He's always helping people. He's actually very kind, in all honesty."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "I doubt it."

"Maybe you should invite him and his friend to the dinner tonight. You said they had to work double, so why not? It could give you an opportunity to get to know him. I think after a while, you'd grow fond of him. He and his friend are very handsome, don't you think?" Marlene grinned.

Lily's cheeks suddenly turned as red as her hair. "Marlene!"

"Sorry, mistress," she said. "But you have to admit, they're more handsome then most of the other boys in the village."

"I happen to think the Potter boy and his friend are very average looking, thank you very much!"

"Mate, stop laughing! That was the princess!" James scolded. He was sitting on an upturned bucket watching Sirius double over from laughter.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he wheezed. "It's just – did you _see_ her face when the water got her! She was so dramatic about it!" he let out another belt of laughter. "She tries so hard to look scary, but it's kind of difficult to achieve when she's half our size. I was only scared that she would send the guards after us. But c'mon mate, you have to admit – it _was_ pretty funny."

James crossed his arms over his chest. "It wasn't funny."

Sirius shot him a serious look. "If it hadn't had been the princess you would've thought it was the funniest thing in the world." A grin suddenly spread wide across his face. "I bet you fancy her, that's why! I saw you mess your hair up and straighten your posture–"

"Sirius, I _do not _fancy her! I'm mad because we almost got sacked! You know how much we need this money. We can't afford to mess up again."

"Yeah, I know." Sirius said. "Speaking of which, have you heard from Moony lately?"

James shook his head. "The last time he sent a letter was a few weeks ago. He said he was hiding in the Forbidden Forest."

"Did he say whether he had found other werewolves or not?"

James shook his head. "No, but I hope so."

"Do you think if we get enough money we'll be able to cure him?"

James sighed. "Maybe. The problem is, I don't know who would help us."

"We'll find someone." Sirius said, turning over a bucket and sitting down on it. He started picking out the dirt from underneath his fingernails. Suddenly he looked up at James with an eager expression. "I have a brilliant idea!"

"Oh blimey…" James muttered to himself, putting his head in his hands. "Your ideas are never good."

"What if we ask to work for the princess? She said we had to double our work, right? What if we work for her, get on her good side, and then tell her about Moony? She could help us!"

James stood up and brushed horse hair off his clothes. "Mate, that would never work. She hates us already, and if she found out we were trying to sneak a werewolf into Gryffindor she'd have our have our heads on a stake."

"But technically, he's only a werewolf for one night a month. The rest of the time he's a normal human. She could help us get him in here safely, and she could get him a job and a house and protection–"

"Mate." James cut him off mid-sentence. "Forget it. It's not going to happen."

Sirius let out a sigh of defeat. "It could really help Moony."

"I know it would, but he wouldn't appreciate us telling the princess he's a werewolf, nor would he like us taking money from her to help him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just going to take _years_ for us to earn enough money to find someone who can cure him."

"We'll get there eventually. We just have to keep up the hard work." James said. Sirius stood up and brushed the dirt and dung off his face and clothes as best as he could. When he was finished, the two boys left the stables and made their way down the street.

"I just don't see why you can't just cure him yourself," Sirius said quietly, walking almost shoulder to shoulder with James.

James shot him a look. "You know I would, if I could. And keep your voice down, we're in public."

They walked through the brick streets and to the outskirts of the village to their home, a small, two room brick cottage. Sirius walked through the door and slumped onto his bed without even bothering to take his shoes off. A few minutes later, James heard him snoring. He grabbed a sack of grain off the dusty kitchen table and went out back to feed the chickens.

He was just closing the gate to the yard behind the house before he heard a woman's voice.

"Potter?"

Upon seeing the Princess Lily standing in front of him, James immediately bowed, accidently spilling grain in the process.

"Your Majesty!" he welcomed nervously.

She was clad in a long royal blue dress that was covered by a long black cloak. He noticed that her hair had been washed – it cascaded down her back in small waves. He prayed that she had not come to his house to scold him for what had happened earlier. He straightened his posture and ran a hand through his hair, attempting to make it look somewhat neat.

"Hello," Lily greeted nicely. Her arms were behind her back and she gave him a short smile.

"I don't mean to come off as rude, my lady, but why are you here?" he asked. "You're not here to yell at me again, are you?" then he added quickly, "my lady?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you would have given me a moment to speak, I would have told you. No, I am not here to yell at you."

James shut his mouth and stared at her shoulder to avoid looking her in the eyes. "Sorry."

"It's quite alright. I came to ask if you and your friend wanted to come and serve at my father's dinner party this evening."

James looked back at her. Her green eyes seemed much brighter than they had been hours earlier.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, as your punishment you need to work double, and why not show you how to behave better than in the royal castle?"

"Will we get paid?"

"No. I told you, you won't get paid extra for your work."

"I'll have to talk to Sirius about it, then."

Lily gave him a curt nod. "Alright then. If you do decide to come, dress in your nicest clothes and meet Marlene and I in the Great Hall. I hope to see you there."

She turned to leave and James copied her and closed the gate to the chicken pen.

"Oh!" Lily turned around again. "Potter?"

"Yes, your highness?"

"If you do decide to come, take a bath first. You smell horrible."

Thanks for reading! Reviews would be greatly appreciated! If I get enough positive feedback I will post the second chapter within the next few days. :)


	2. Chapter 2

"That's bloody brilliant!" Sirius exclaimed later that afternoon after James had told him what Lily had asked. "This gives us a chance to get on her good side!"

"I don't know if it's such a good idea…" James said, trailing off.

Sirius let out a short laugh. "Are you telling me, James Potter, the man who isn't afraid of anything, is afraid of the princess? James Potter is afraid of a woman half his size!"

"Shut up, I am not!" he said. "She said if we screw up one more time we'll be sacked. If anything goes wrong, we'll ruin everything for Moony."

"Are you saying you don't think I can behave myself for a few hours in the castle?"

"I know you can't behave yourself for a few hours, _especially_ in the castle."

"James, why must you always doubt me?"

"Because you were born to cause trouble. Do not ruin this for Moony."

"I won't, I promise."

"Good. Now, where are our nicest clothes?"

* * *

"You look very beautiful tonight, Lily." Said King Michael later that night in the castle's Great Hall. All around them, servants were preparing the room for the evening's party.

Lily curtseyed with a bright smile. "Thank you, father."

"Severus will love you, there is no doubt in my mind about that!" the king exclaimed. He put his hands on his hips and gazed around at his magnificent Great Room.

Lily exchanged a quick glance with Marlene, who was standing a few feet away helping with decorations. Her stomach tied itself into a tight knot at hearing her father's words. She secretly prayed that he meant something else.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Severus, the Slytherin prince. He will fall in love with you once he sees your beauty. I am very proud to have you as my daughter."

Lily gave him another nervous smile. She addressed his shoulders to avoid looking into his glowing eyes. This was the happiest she had seen him in a very long time.

She stepped close to the king and lowered her voice. "Thank you father, but are you suggesting that I and the Slytherin Prince are to get married?" A few feet away, Lily noticed Marlene stop working as she listened in on the conversation.

"Well, I am certainly not going to rule it out! You are of age to marry, and if I have the chance to make peace with the Slytherin king, then I will do anything to make it happen."

"But…." She hesitated. Lily knew her father would be upset with what she was about to ask. "…what if I don't want to marry him?"

Her father's joyful expression quickly turned into a scowl. He gripped her by the arm and pulled her close.

"I will not let an opportunity of peace slip out of my hands." He growled into her ear. "If the Slytherin King and I get along, I will suggest marriage."

"But–"

"_Lily_. There are no exceptions in this. If you do not love him now, you will surely grow to love him over time. Do not let another war brew over our lands."

He let go of her arm and when she looked back up at him his joyful expression had returned. "Why don't you and your handmaiden go back up to your chambers until the party begins?"

Lily stared at her father for a moment with her mouth slightly open. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Why was he forcing her to marry into a family that practiced dark magic? Did he not remember what had happened to Lily's mother, his wife, the queen? She suddenly realized many moments had passed since her father had said something and she shook herself out of her thoughts.

"Yes, father. Marlene?" she called.

"Yes, mistress?" Marlene called from across the Great Hall.

"Come on."

They returned to Lily's chambers, ignoring everyone they passed on their way up.

"What did your father say?" Marlene asked eagerly.

"He said if he and the Slytherin King get along, he's going to suggest that Severus and I get married."

Marlene put her hand over her mouth in shock. "Princess! He can't do that!" Along with most of the kingdom, Marlene had never been told the truth about the queen's death, but even she knew that the King was making a horrible mistake.

Lily shrugged and looked down at her hands in her lap. She noticed they were shaking slightly. From fear or nervousness, she didn't know. She sat on them to keep from noticing them again. "I can't do anything about it. My father is the king. Whatever he says, goes. No exceptions." She let out a shaky breath. "It's a horrible thing to say, but I really do hope things go wrong tonight."

* * *

"Well?" James asked, holding out his hands in front of Sirius and spinning around in a slow circle. "How do I look?" they both had been bathed and changed into their nicest clothes, and James had even spent an extra half hour in front of the mirror trying to tame his wild hair.

"Like a servant," Sirius said, not bothering to look up. He had James' wand in his hand. He held it out to James. "Do you think you should take this?"

"Magic isn't allowed in the castle."

"If magic is banned in the castle then why is King Michael inviting the Slytherin to dinner? I don't trust anyone from Slytherin," he hissed. The rest of Sirius's family lived in the Slytherin's land and practiced Dark Magic. "Maybe you should take it, just in case. Slytherin and Gryffindor have feuded for years. You never know what could happen."

James took his wand and pocketed it in his cloak. "If I get caught with this, I'll be in trouble."

"That's why you won't take it out unless there's a problem. Wait – take the cloak as well, just in case we _do_ get in trouble and need a fast getaway."

Sirius stood up and groped a corner of the dirt floor until he held up an invisible mass. He held it out and James shoved the invisibility cloak into his other pocket.

Sirius pulled opened the door. "Ready to go?"

James took a deep breath in anticipation. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Hogsmeade village had calmed down as the aternoon wore on; James and Sirius were one of the only few people in the streets. James could see the castle over the hill and his stomach did somersaults. He unconsciously ran a hand through his hair. Fear and uncertainty crept into his mind and he glanced over at Sirius walking next to him. Sirius seemed very calm and relaxed. What would he be like once he found out they would be serving alcohol and not allowed to drink any of it? What would he say when he found out he wouldn't be allowed to flirt with the other women in the castle?

"You nervous, mate?" Sirius asked.

James shook his head. "Not really," he lied. In truth, he was scared out of his mind. What if Sirius tried to play games and screwed everything up? What if they got kicked out of the castle? What if they got sacked? What if Lily hated him?

He shook his head. No. He didn't care if the princess liked him or not. She was the princess, he was a servant. There was no reason for her to even associate herself with him. It didn't matter whether she liked him or not.

They entered the castle gates and James nodded a polite hello at every guard he passed.

"Kiss up," Sirius muttered.

"Am not," James replied slyly. "I'm being a gentleman. That's what you do when you're in the _royal castle_."

Sirius muttered something under his breath that James was unable to hear. They entered the Great Hall and stood at the entrance for a moment, transfixed with how large and magnificent the room was. The room was made entirely of white marble and on the ceiling there was a large painting that depicted a king on his horse defeating a very large dragon.

James saw the King talking to a servant across the hall and he scanned the room in search of Lily's red hair, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Look for Lily," James said.

"I don't think she's here."

"She has to be, this is where she told us to come."

"Maybe she's upstairs in her chambers. She'll probably be down soon."

"James? Sirius?" a voice behind them called. They turned around and were met with Marlene. Since they had seen her that afternoon, she had changed from a white and brown maid's dress into a dark red dress with long sleeves, and her hair had been braided back.

"Good evening," James said, trying his best to sound sophisticated and proper. Sirius let out a snort.

Marlene curtseyed politely and gave him a small smile. "I didn't think either of you would dress so nice," she said. "You both look very handsome."

James' cheeks flushed and he ran a hand through his hair. In the corner of his eye he saw Sirius blush.

"Thanks," Sirius replied. "Where's the princess?"

"In her chambers," Marlene answered. "The king sent her to wait there until the party began. If you'll come with me, I'll show you the kitchens."

She led them out of the Great Hall and down the long entrance hall of the palace.

"This place is huge," James said, admiring the statues and portraits as they passed.

"This isn't even half of it," Marlene said. "There's secret passages and rooms and–"

"Marlene!" called a man's voice. James turned around and saw the King at the other end of the entrance hall.

"Yes, your majesty?" Marlene called back.

"Fetch Lily from her chambers, will you? The Slytherin's have arrived." James and Sirius exchanged glances and James couldn't ignore the nervous feeling that was building in his stomach. He felt his pocket to make sure his wand was still there.

"Yes, sir!" Marlene turned her attention back to James and Sirius. "I have to go get Lily." she sighed. "How can I go get the princess and teach you two what to do at the same time?"

"Take me to the kitchens and teach me what to do," Sirius suggested. "I'm rubbish at being proper, and James seems to have everything in order. He can go get Lily."

James' eyes widened in fear. "What? No–"

"What, are you afraid of the princess?" Sirius taunted.

"_No."_

"Then go fetch her from her chambers."

"If you go up the spiral staircase, her room is the first one on the left," Marlene said. "Don't forget to knock first!" she and Sirius headed down the hall towards the kitchen, leaving him by himself.

James looked around in confusion, looking for whatever spiral staircase Marlene was talking about. He didn't see a spiral staircase. He didn't see a staircase, period. He groaned to himself. _Great,_ he thought. _Just great. How am I supposed to get Lily if I don't know where the bloody staircase is?_

James put his hands on his hips and looked around the hall, searching for a staircase or another hallway. The only door he saw was the entrance in which Marlene and Sirius had taken to the kitchen. He decided to walk farther down the corridor and hoped he would find whatever spiral staircase Marlene was talking about.

His footsteps echoed on the marble floor. The butterflies in his stomach wouldn't lie still. He stuck his hands in his pockets to prevent them from finding their way into his hair. He reached the end of the entrance hall and was faced with two new halls on either side of him. At the end of the right hall lay the spiral staircase.

James let out a nervous breath he didn't know he was holding. He climbed the staircase slowly, going over every possible outcome that could happen within the next few minutes.

He would knock on her door, tell her it was him. She would open it and welcome him kindly into her chambers before he led her back down to the Great Hall. No. That would never happen. He would knock on the door, tell her it was him, and she'd probably scream, slam the door in his face, then have him sacked. Yes, that's exactly what would happen.

He found the first door on the right and stood in front of it. He held his hand up to knock but didn't. He noticed his hands were shaking. He felt himself blush nervously.

_Idiot!_ He told himself. _Man up and just knock on the door!_

James took a deep breath and knocked on the door three times.

"Yes?" called a voice from the other room. Lily.

James opened his mouth to speak but couldn't form audible words. He cleared his throat. "Princess Lily… uh, it's James…" he said loudly enough so she could hear him on the other side. "Marlene sent me to get you, the party is about to start…"

A short moment passed and the door opened, revealing the princes on the other side.

James tried to stop himself, but he couldn't help but stare. She was dressed in the same royal blue dress she had been wearing earlier, but strands of her long hair were now pulled back and clipped into a dazzling butterfly clip at the back of her head.

He stood there with his eyes transfixed only on her, with his mouth hanging slightly open.

Lily gave him a weird look. "Er, hi," she said.

James snapped out of his hypnosis. "Hi," he replied, immediately running a wretched hand through his hair.

"Where's Marlene?"

"In the kitchens with Sirius. She sent me up to get you, the party's almost about to start."

"Oh."

A very long, awkward pause followed for what seemed like ages. She had her hand on the doorknob and was looking at the floor, wondering what to say. It was then that James had enough time to notice how small the princess actually was. He easily towered at least a foot above her. Upon looking at her petite figure, James suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her presence. He had the sudden fear that if he were to lay a single finger on her delicate body, she was to break into a thousand pieces. He wanted more than anything to get as far away from her bed chambers as he could.

James cleared his throat again. "Do you need help with anything? Or are you ready to be escorted downstairs?"

Lily looked back up at him. "I'm not finished getting ready yet."

"If you want, I'll wait outside until you're done." _Please make me wait outside._

"No, I need help." _Shit._

"What can I help you with, my lady?"

She pulled up the skirt of her dress slightly, revealing her bare feet. "I'm too short to reach my shoes, and I also need someone to tie the back of my dress."

"Oh." James tried to stop the blush from creeping onto his cheeks but he was too late.

Lily opened her door wider and gestured for him to come in. He followed her and as she turned to back to walk into the room, James saw the intricate lacing on the back of her dress. He'd never be able to tie it.

She sat down at the edge of her bed while James stood standing in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets, not knowing what to do.

"The shoes are in that cabinet," she said, pointing a large cabinet with an oak finish. "They're at the very top, in a white box. I suspect you can reach it."

James made his way over to the cabinet, pulled open the large doors and reached for the shoe box without any problem. He handed them to Lily.

"Do you want help putting them on, my lady?"

"No, I can put them on myself. And the 'my lady' is unnecessary. Just call me Lily."

"Okay, my – Lily." He corrected. He pointed at the back of her dress. "How the hell am I supposed to tie that?"

She pulled her hair over to one side of her shoulder so he would have his full workspace for tying the lace.

"You see the holes on each side? Just string the lace through on each side so they make a zig zag, then tie the two pieces in a pretty bow at the top."

"Okay…" James trailed off as he took the two pieces of lace in his hands. He tried to ignore the fact that _he was touching the princess' back_ as he strung the lace through the small holes on either side. His hand movements were slow and steady as he tied the lace; he didn't want to mess up her dress, or hurt her.

"Are you excited for this evening?" she asked politely.

James shrugged but then remembered she couldn't see him. "I don't know what to expect," he admitted. "This is my first time in a castle." Once he got the hang of it, tying the lace was rather an easy task. "Are you excited for tonight?"

"Not really."

James raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't expect the princess to be so straightforward.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Slytherin's practice dark magic."

"Not all magic is evil." He thought about his wand in his pocket.

"Yes, it is. That's why we don't practice it anymore." Lily made eye contact with him through the mirror that sat across from her bed. "Slytherin's are sly and cunning, and they use their powers for evil."

"I agree with that, but not all magic is evil."

"How would you know?"

He panicked for a short moment. "Dunno," he replied a little too quickly. "I just do."

He finished tying her lace and completed it with a simple bow. "There you go," he said, returning his hands to his pockets.

"Thank you Potter. I forgot to add earlier, you look nice."

"Thank you, princess. Shall I lead you down to the Great Hall now?"

* * *

Lily couldn't have been more scared. On in the inside, her heart was racing and she couldn't stop thinking about all the possible things that could happen throughout the night. She was also furious that Marlene had sent Potter up to her _bed chambers_, but she tried her best to be civil with him. She was impressed when he held his arm out for her to hold as he walked her downstairs.

Her father introduced her to King Tobias Snape and his son Severus. Both were equally ugly with identical pale skin, greasy black hair and dark eyes. They also both wore the same bored expressions on their faces, almost like they were unimpressed with the magnificent Gryffindor Palace.

"How do you do?" Severus asked when her father introduced them. Lily forced herself not to pull her hand back as he kissed it.

She put on a fake smile to hide her disgust. "I am fine, thank you, how are you?"

"I'm very well, my lady," he replied, giving her a crooked smile.

The night passed slowly and Lily felt like she was dying. Her father made her accompany Severus everywhere. When the dancing began, Lily wanted to excuse herself to the loo and retreat up to her bed chambers but she knew her father would notice her absence. While dancing with Severus, she tried not to look at his grimy hands. At dinner she was forced to sit next to him, so she piled her plate with more food that usual to avoid having to speak. Once or twice she found Marlene and begged for her to devise an escape plan, but Marlene had no ideas.

"Ugh," Lily cried. "Do you know how _disgusting_ he is? He doesn't even look like he bathed before he came here!"

"I feel very sorry for you, my lady," Marlene said sympathetically. "The party will be over in a few hours, I promise."

* * *

"Looks like the princess is having the time of her life," Sirius said sarcastically. He was leaning casually up against the marble wall, holding a glass of wine he had stolen from the kitchens.

"Snape looks hideous," James replied, leaning up against the wall next to Sirius.

Marlene soon found them and joined them up against the wall. "I feel so bad for her," she said. "Just _look_ at him. He doesn't even care what she's talking about, all he's looking at is her body."

James perked his head up and eyed the pair dancing in the middle of the floor. Her hands were politely on his shoulders and she was talking fast about something. James noticed Snape's hands were dangerously low on her back, and he wasn't even looking at her face while she talked. He glared at them and felt his pocket to check if his wand and invisibility cloak were still there.

"He has no right to treat the princess like that," Marlene said, crossing her arms over her chest. "It makes me uncomfortable just looking at them. Maybe one of you should intervene and ask to dance with her. Look at her, you can tell she's having a horrible time."

"No thanks," Sirius replied quickly. "But James here is a great dancer," he said, clapping James on the back.

James glared at Sirius. "I doubt the princess would want to dance with a servant," he said. "And besides, I'm sure the people are hungry. Maybe we should go back to the kitchens and get more food–"

* * *

"–and one time my mother and I went riding in the forest and we stopped at this large clearing and then a unicorn appeared and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life and–"

"Mhm, that's nice," Snape said, clearly uninterested.

Lily abruptly stopped talking and closed her mouth. She felt his hand move farther down her back and for the second time that night she had to move it back up to where it should belong.

She let out a fake yawn and covered her hand with her mouth. "I'm getting very tired," she said. "Perhaps it would be best if I returned to my bed chambers…."

"Your majesty," Snape said. "Surely you'd like to take a walk with me in the moonlight before you retire to bed?"

Lily took her hands off of Snape's shoulders. "That's very kind of you to offer but–"

He grabbed her wrist tightly. _"_I _insist._"

* * *

James _really_ didn't want to approach Snape, but he felt like saving Lily from her unfortunate situation would make up for what he had done earlier in the village. He pushed his way through the crowd of people talking and drinking and scanned the dance floor for Lily. He saw her being escorted out of the Great Hall by Snape.

He glanced back at Sirius and Marlene who were still leaning up against the wall engaging in small talk. He quickly found a deserted corner and pulled the invisibility cloak out of his pocket. He checked to make sure no one saw him as he disappeared into thin air. Without a second thought he followed Snape and Lily into the courtyard. He found them walking along the edge of a small pond. James trailed behind them a few feet, being careful not to step on anything that would make a noise.

"Would you like to take a rest on this bench, princess?" Snape offered.

"That would be very nice, thank you." Lily said. She let out a yawn but James knew she was faking. It was too early into the evening to be tired; the sun had just gone down. He sat on the ground a few feet from behind the bench and quietly took his wand out of his pocket, just in case.

He stared at their backs as they sat on the bench in silence, looking at the pond in the moonlight. James saw Lily attempting to scoot slowly away from Snape but he only followed and scooted closer to her as she moved.

"It's a lovely night," she said, looking up at the stars.

"Indeed," Snape agreed. He put his hand in his pocket. "Would you like to see something, princess?"

Before Lily could answer Snape pulled his wand out from his pocket. James saw Lily's horrified look as she stood up in fear.

"I don't want to see your magic tricks," Lily said, taking a few steps back. "Magic is evil."

"Magic is power." Snape replied, standing up. He easily towered over her. Lily took a few more steps back. "If you were to acquire a wand, my princess, think about what great things we could achieve! With your brilliant mind, I can only imagine what kind of magic you'd be able to conjure-"

"I don't want anything to do with magic, and certainly not with you. If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to retire to my bed chambers. Goodnight."

Lily pushed past him and hurried back into the castle, not daring to look back. Snape watched her enter back into the castle before he stomped his foot on the ground in anger.

James readied his wand but cast no spell. He watched as Snape muttered a long string of curse words under his breath, shoved his wand back into his pocket, then walked back into the Great Hall.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Sorry if the last chapter had a few formatting errors with the different points of view. If you liked this chapter, please leave me a comment and tell me what you think! Also, follow my tumblr! (the link to it is on my profile) if you would like to ask any more questions and/or stay updated on this story! :)**


End file.
